Device for bending terminals



May 8, 1962 R. E. HALVERSON DEVICE FOR BENDING TERMINALS 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Sept. 25, 1958 May 8, 1962 R. E. HALVERSON 3,

DEVICE FOR BENDING TERMINALS Filed Sept.- 25, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mrrn roe ecu/Mara 18% MM 57/9770E/VE7 Fatentecl May 8, 1962 3,033,265DEVHCE FGR BENDHNG TERMENALS Richard E. Halverson, Westchester, llh,assignor to Western Electric Company, incorporated, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Fiied Sept. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 763,337 12Claims. (Cl. 15316) This invention relates to a device for bendingterminals and more particularly to the apparatus for bending terminalsin different planes on a terminal assembly.

In the fabrication of certain terminal assemblies it is necessary tobend the terminals in different planes. In the past this was done byseparately bending each terminal With a pair of pliers or by bending theterminals individually in a bending device. Procedures of this sortresult in irregularities in successively produced terminal assemblieswith corresponding reductions in strength and dependability of theterminal assemblies. It is therefore extremely important to be able toautomatically and simultaneously bend terminals of a terminal assemblyquickly and accurately with a high degree of dependability to produce ahigh quality terminal assembly having individual terminals positioned indifferent planes.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus ofsimple and economical construction for automatically bending terminalson a terminal assembly.

Another object of the invention resides in terminal bending elementswhich are automatically retracted from the bent terminals uponcompletion of the bending of the terminals.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which willprovide automatic terminal bending elements that retract from theassembly automatically by a single movement of a drive member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nesting arrangement toconveniently hold a terminal assembly between terminal bending elementsto position the terminals within the confines of a bank of stackedbending elements.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forautomatically bending terminals of terminal assemblies of differentsizes and having a varied arrangement of terminals.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplatesa nest for holding a terminal assembly together with a series of formingelements for engaging and automatically bending terminals extending fromthe assembly. The apparatus also includes facilities for automaticallyretracting the forming elements to allow removal of the assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent byreference to the following detailed de scription and the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bending apparatus illustrating themovement of a series of bending elements and the actuating mechanismtherefor embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing thebending elements in a retracted position to receive a terminal assembly;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing aterminal assembly positioned within the bending apparatus with theterminals bent and with the terminal bending elements retracted;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 illustratinga release mechanism for changing the movement of the bending elementsfrom a bending movement to an outward retraction movement;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 1showing the terminals of a terminal assembly in position between thebending elements of the bending apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 5 showing theterminal assembly nested in the apparatus with terminals insertedbetween bending elements prior to bending;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a bending plate Show ing the relievedportion therein to receive a terminal to be bent; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a terminal assembly after the terminalshave been bent by the apparatus shown in the figures.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a bending apparatus(FIGS. 1-3) for a terminal assembly 14, having a base 15 with a baseplate 16 rigidly secured thereto. A channel 23 is provided on base plate16 by guide members 20, 21 and 22 (FIGS. 1 and 4). A pair of frames 25and 26 having flanges 27 thereon are slidably fitted within the channel23 formed by guide members '22 to move toward and away from each other.Frames and 26 have two L-shaped spacing members 30 and 31 and a pair oftop frames 35'- and 36 respectively rigidly secured thereto in stackedrelation (FIGS. 2 and 4) to provide a pair of slide assemblies generallydesignated by the reference numerals 41 and 42.

The frames 25 and 26 and the top frames 35 and 36 have aligned pairs ofguide grooves 45 and 46 respectively. The spacing members 30 and 31 eachhave three cylindrical passages 50-52 and -57 formed therein. Two setsof cylindrical pins lift-62 and 65-67 are slidably mounted in thecylindrical passages 59-52 and 55-57 respectively. Each of thecylindrical pins 60-62 and -67 (FIGS. 1 and 4) has a relieved portionthrough which passes a pin 71 that is secured to the. base plates 25 and2d and top plates 35 and 36. The sliding movement of the relieved pins60-62 and 654?! is thus limited by the length of the relieved portions70 in engagement with the pins '71.

Two groups of parallel bending plates 75 and 76 having L-shaped raisedportions 79 and 80 (FIG. 7), are pivotally mounted to and between theframes 25 and 26 and top frames 35 and 36 at 81 and 82 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5and 6). A nest 85, secured. to the base 16, has a pair of locatingprojections extending therefrom to receive and hold a terminal assembly14. Two sets of terminals 87 and 88 extending from the assembly 14 arethus positioned between respective sets of parallel bending plates 75and 76 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

A pair of bending levers $8 and 91 are pivotally mounted between thebottom frames 25 and 26 and the top frames 35 and 36 on a pair ofvertical shafts 94 and 95 respectively. Semi-cylindrical portions 96 and97 are formed on the ends of bending elements 9% and 91 around thevertical shafts 94 and 95 and provide surfaces 98 and 99 in engagementwith the respective innermost terminals of the groups of terminals 87and 88 (FIG. 6). A pair of air cylinders 10% secured to base 15 havepiston rods 101 pivotally linked to the outer ends of the bendingmembers fit and 91 at 103 and 104 by a pair of links 102 connected tothe rods 101.

A pair of projections and 111 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4) extend verticallyfrom the frame 15. The projections 11% and 111 each have a set of threecounterbored holes 115-117 and -122 formed therein. The counterboredholes 115-117 and mil-122 of each set are formed in a vertically steppedrelationship. The sets of counterbored holes are separately horizontallyaligned with the respective passages 59-53 and 55-57. The holesllS-llfland 120-122 can be aligned with the respective openings in the group ofopenings 50-53 and 55-57 by moving the members 39 and 31 horizontally.The center holes 116 and 121 of the left and right groups of holes(FIGS.

2 and 4) are shown as being aligned with pins 61 and 66 (see FIG. 1).

A pair of pins 124 and 125 (FiGS. 3 and 4) are selectively placed in thecounterbored holes 116 and 121 and project into cylindrical passages 51and 56 in the L- shaped members 30 or 31 to horizontally position theframes 25 and 26 secured to the L-shaped members. Pins 124 and 125 areshown in the center counterbored holes 116 and 121 and are biased intothe center cylindrical passages 51 and 56 by a pair of springs 126 and127 respectively. The relieved pins 61 and 6-5 will be LOl'CeCl inwardlyallowing the spring biased pins 124 and 125 to enter into the passages51 and 56 in the L-shaped members 30 and 31 respectively. The pins 124and 125 thus lock the members 30 and 31 to the projections 110 and 111respectively. The bottom and top frames 25, 26, 35 and 36, with theirsets of bending plates 75 and 76 pivotally secured thereto, are fixed ata specific spaced distance apart as determined by the selection of thecenter counterbored holes 116 and 121. The compression springs 126 and127 are held in the counterbores by clamps 128 and 129 which in turn areheld in place by wing nuts (FIGS. 13).

The distance between the pins 94 and 95 and the pins 104 is equal to theradial distance between the pins 94 and 95 and the arc of the pairs ofthe respective grooves 45 and 46 on the inner surfaces of the bottom andtop frames 25, 26, 35 and 36, respectively. A set of leaf springs 131are rigidly secured at the outer ends thereof at 132 on the bendingelements 90 and 91 and project along the outer surface of the outermostbending plates of the sets of bending plates 81 and 82 (FIGS. 1 and 6).These springs 131 keep the bending plates 75 and 76 in tightly stackedand slidable relationship to each other and to the bending elements 90and 91 respectively.

Operation In operation, to bend terminals of a terminal assembly indifferent planes, :1 terminal assembly 14 is placed in the nest 85 (FIG.2) with the terminals thereof projecting between bending plates 75 and76 (FIGS. and 6). The air cylinders 100 are actuated to force rods 101and links 102 downwardly in a direction indicated by the arrows inFIG. 1. As the downward motion of links 102 continues, members 90 and 91are pivoted outwardly about the pins 94 and 95 respectively in oppositedirections. Bending plates 75 and 76 are consequently pivotally movedwith bending members 90 and 91 respectively about points 81 and 82 insliding stacked relationship with each other. The springs 131, securedto bending members 90 and 91, hold the plates 75 and 76 in stackedrelationship during the bending operation.

After the terminals 87 and 88 are so bent about points 81 and 82respectively, the end portions 105 of members 90 and 91 will engage thepins 61 and 66 to depress the spring biased pins 124 and 125 inserted inprojections 110 and 111 and projecting into members 30 and 31respectively. Continued bending movement of members 90 and 91 cause thepins 124 and 125 to move out of the cylindrical passages 51 and 56respectively to the extent that the spacing members 30 and 31 areunlocked and are free to move relative to projections 110 and 111. Thecontinued motion of members 90 and 91 also completes the bending of theterminals. The pins 125 and 126 are shown in the center counterboreopenings 116 and 121 respectively which positions the bottom and topframes 26 and 36 and spacing elements 30 and 31 respectively at anintermediate spaced apart position to receive a terminal assembly havingterminals 87 and 38 correspondingly spaced apart.

The continued application of force by the piston rods 101, through links102 and pins 104 against the outer surface of the pairs of arcuategrooves 45 and 46, moves the unlocked slide assemblies 41 and 42 awayfrom the terminal assembly 14 in the path determined by the guidemembers 20-22. This outward movement of the slide assemblies will act tocompress the springs 135 (FIGS. 1-3) inserted in projections 136 of base16 and remove the bending elements from engagement with the bentterminals. The outward movement of bending plates and 76 is limited bythe length of the stroke of the piston rods 101. In this position theterminal assembly with bent terminals is readily removed from nest 85.

Upon removal of the terminal assembly, cylinders 100 are actuated tomove rods 101 upwardly as indicated in PEG. 1 to move links 102 andslide assemblies 41 and 42 towards the nest in cooperation with thecompressed compression springs 135. Upon a predetermined return movementof the opposing slide assemblies 41 and 42, the pins 124 and 125 will beforced into locking position in the aligned cylindrical passages 51 and56. Upon a continued retraction movement of the rods 101 and links 102the bending elements and 91 are rotated toward each other about the pins94 and and into the original vertical position as shown in FIG. 1. Atthis point the apparatus is ready for insertion of another assemblyelement in the nest 85 with the terminals inserted between the bendingplates 75 and 76 in readiness for another bending cycle.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of this invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A bending apparatus comprising a slide, a bending member pivotallymounted on the slide, a stack of bending plates ivotally mounted on theslide, one of said plates engaging said bending member, resilient meansurging the plates toward the bending member so that said one plate ismaintained in engagement with the bending member, said plates beingrecessed to accommodate a series of elements to be bent, and means forpivoting the bending member to pivot the plates and to bend the elementsin the recesses thereof.

2. A bending apparatus comprising a slidably mounted frame, a pluralityof parallel bending plates pivotally mounted in said frame, bendingmeans pivotally mounted on the frame adjacent one of the plates, saidframe having a series of spaced passages formed therein, said pluralityof plates abutting one another so that the pivoting of one of saidplates causes the remaining of said plates to pivot, locking meansselectively positioned in said passages to hold the frame from movement,means for pivoting the bending means for pivoting said plates to bendingposition, and means operated by the pivoting of the bending means forreleasing the locking means.

3. A device for bending terminals of a terminal assembly comprising abase, a terminal assembly positioning means rigidly mounted on the base,a pair of frames slidably mounted on the base and movable laterally withrespect to the terminals of 21 positioned terminal assembly between abending position and a retracted position, a set of parallel bendingplates pivotally mounted on each frame in sliding stacked relation, saidplates having recessed portions adapted to receive a group of terminalsof the terminal assembly, bending means pivotally mounted to each framefor pivoting said sets of plates, means for locking the frames to thebase, locking release means in the path of the bending means, andactuating means to pivot the bending means to pivot said plates tobending position and to move the bending means against the release meansto release the locking means and move the frames to their retractedposition.

4. A device for bending terminals of a terminal assembly comprising abase, a nest rigidly mounted on the base for positioning a terminalassembly, a pair of frames slidably mounted to said base and movablefrom original positions laterally with respect to the terminals of apositioned assembly, lock means to hold the frames from mov-- inglaterally, a set of parallel bending plates'pivotally mounted in eachframe and perpendicular to the lateral path of the frames, a bendinglink pivotally mounted on each frame on an axis parallel to the axes ofthe plates and in sliding contact with the innermost plate of therespective sets of plates, said bending links pivotally mounted to pivotsaid plates to bending position and to engage and release the framelocking means upon a predetermined movement of the bending links,reciprocating actuating means for moving the bending links beyond thepredetermined distance to slidably move the frames, and spring means forurging the frames to return to the original positions.

5. A device for bending terminals of a terminal assembly comprising abase, a nest for holding an assembly having terminals extendingtherefrom, a pair of frames slidably mounted on the base to movelaterally to the terminals of a nested assembly between bending andretracting positions, parallel bending plates pivotally mounted in theframes in slidably stacked relation, bending means pivotally mounted ineach frame adjacent the bending plates, said frames having guide meansto confine the bending means during movement thereof, locking means tohold the frames in the bending positions, lock release mechanismsmounted on the respective frames in the path of the bending means,reciprocating means to pivot said bending means to move said plates tobend the terminals of a nested assembly and to actuate said framerelease means, said reciprocating moving means adapted to move theframes to the retracted positions when said lock release is actuated,and spring means to return the frames to the bending positions when thereciprocating means is reversed.

6. A device for bending terminals of a terminal assembly comprising achanneled base, a base frame slidably mounted in the channeled base, aspacing member rigidly secured to said base frame, a top frame rigidlysecured to said spacing member, said base and top frames having alignedarcuate grooves in their inner surfaces, 2. plurality of parallelbending plates pivotally mounted between the frames in slidingengagement with each other, said bending plates having relieved portionstherein, a nest rigidly mounted on the channeled base to position theterminal assembly with the terminals within the relieved portions of thebending plates, a bending lever in sliding engagement with an innermostbending plate and pivotally mounted to the base and top frames at thecenter of radius of the arcuate grooves, means to pivot the bendinglever to move the bending plates to bend the terminals, pin means on thebending lever to guide the bending lever in the grooves, a resilientholding means in the channeled base in the path of the grooves engagingthe base frame to hold the base frame in bending position, means engagedby the lever mounted pin means within the grooves for releasing theresilient holding means.

7. In a bending apparatus for bending a terminal assembly in differentplanes, the combination comprising a slide, a plurality of parallelbending plates pivotally mounted on the slide, said plurality of platesabutting one another so that the pivoting of one of said plates causesthe remaining of said plates to pivot, means for locking the slideagainst movement, a bending lever in engagement with one of the bendingplates, means for actuating the bending lever to pivot the bendingplates to bent position, means for prohibiting pivotal movement of thebending plates beyond the bent position, and means actuated by themovement of the bending lever to the bent position for engaging andreleasing the locking means whereby a force applied to the actuatingmeans and having a component in the direction of movement of said slidemay cause movement of said slide.

8. In a bending apparatus for bending a terminal assembly in differentplanes, the combination comprising a grooved frame, a plurality ofbending plates pivotally mounted in said frame, said plurality of platesabutting one another so that the pivoting of one of said plates causesthe remaining of said plates to pivot, a bending lever pivoted in saidframe and in sliding engagement with the innermost bending plate, meanson said lever engaging the groove in said frame, and means to actuatesaid lever to follow the groove in said frame and to pivot said platesto bending position.

9. In a bending apparatus for bending a terminal assembly, thecombination which comprises a pair of grooved frames, a plurality ofparallel bending plates mounted in each of said frames in parallelsliding contact, said plates having relieved portions to receive themembers to be bent, a pair of bending levers each of which is pivoted inone of said frames and in sliding engagement with the innermost bendingplate of said plates in the associated frame, means on each of saidlevers engaging the groove in said associated frame, and means toactuate said levers to follow the groove in the associated frame and topivot said plates to bending position to bend the members.

10. A bending apparatus for bending a plurality of members, comprisingat least three pivotally mounted, parallel bending plates having theirsurfaces in generally facing relationship, said plates being pivotableas a unit about independent parallel axes near adjacent ends thereoffrom a work receiving position through a prescribed angle of bend andhaving bending edges extending parallel to said axes at the pivoted endsthereof, said axes lying in a plane angularly displaced with respect toa plane perpendicular to said plates when said plates are in the workreceiving position, said plates being arranged to receive the members tobe bent therebetween at the pivoted ends thereof, and means for pivotingsaid bending plates to bend the members about the bending edges.

11. A bending apparatus for bending a plurality of members through aprescribed angle, comprising at least three pivotally mounted, parallelbending plates having their surfaces in generally facing relationship,said plates being pivotable as a unit about independent parallel axesnear adjacent ends thereof and having bending edges extending parallelto said axes at the pivoted ends thereof, said axes lying in a planeperpendicular to a plane bisecting the prescribed angle of bend, saidplates being ar ranged to receive the members to be bent therebetween atthe pivoted ends thereof, and means for pivoting said bending plates tobend the members about the bending edges.

12. A bending apparatus for bending a plurality of members, comprisingat least three pivotally mounted, parallel bending plates having theirsurfaces in generally facing relationship, said plates being pivotableas a unit about independent parallel axes near adjacent ends thereoffrom a work receiving position through a prescribed angle of bend andhaving bending edges extending parallel to said axes at the pivoted endsthereof, said axes lying in a plane angularly displaced with respect toa plane perpendicular to said plates when said plates are in the workreceiving position, said plates being arranged in engagement and beingrecessed to receive the members to be bent therebetween at the pivotedends thereof, and means for pivoting said bending plates to bend themembers about the bending edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS235,781 Kilmer Dec. 21, 1880 562,877 Wittebole June 30, 1896 977,804Knilans Dec. 6, 1910 1,448,567 Muller et al. Mar. 13, 1923 1,749,517Stransky Mar. 4, 1930 1,820,426 Beghetti Aug. 25, 1931 2,175,679 BeattyOct. 10, 1939 2,482,617 Green Sept. 20, 1949 2,834,393 Cihlar et al May13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 446,356 Great Britain Apr. 29, 1936

